Through Mikael's Eyes
by anonyreaderfan
Summary: Mikael's thoughts during Ordinary People and the Homecoming. Background for the story courtesy of the Vampire Diaries and Stefan's Diaries Mikael \ Stefan \ Damon
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

~ X ~

**Somewhere near Mystic Falls, Virginia**

I easily followed the unsuspecting pair from the Lockwood dungeon to the red neck dive they finally ended up at. I slipped into the noisy, crowded bar with a group of laughing, chattering humans and commandeered a table in one of the darker corners. When the waitress eventually made her way over to me and asked what I wanted, I caught her eyes and commanded, "Bring your best bourbon and then ignore me." She blinked, smiled and said, "Of course". I allowed the din in the bar to engulf me and then fine tuned my hearing to the conversations I was interested in, namely that of the Salvatore Brothers.

Handsome lads, men really, but from my vantage point of one thousand plus years they appeared mere children. The younger one would be close to one hundred and sixty three now and the other brother maybe five years older. The elder Salvatore, Damon, was so attractive he bordered on beautiful. The other one, Stefan, though not quite as good looking as his brother, had the better body. He was lean, but all muscle without an ounce of fat on him.

I watched as Damon compelled the lively blonde bartender to offer her arm to Stefan and then carefully positioned his body to block his brother's feeding. His 'drink up brother!' was quite merry.

I was in no hurry to approach them. I sat, swirled my drink, and thought over what I knew about them.

I remembered the younger Salvatore from the raid on the Chicago night club back in the twenties. Even though Niklaus had escaped, I didn't waste the opportunity. I ordered my compelled cops to round up everyone in the club for questioning. I grilled the regulars, both human and vampire, in depth. The young witch Gloria reeked of vervain so I couldn't compel her, but she wasn't stupid and had no intention of dying for Niklaus. She answered my questions readily enough, and what she revealed gave me a lot to think about. Apparently, one particular boy meant a lot to Rebekkah. It seemed that my wayward daughter had fallen in love with one Stefan Salvatore, and that he was also great friends with Niklaus.

I found the boy squatting on the trash covered floor in the middle of the club examining something. I stood over him and said, "Hey kid, Chicago PD." He stood up, moved close to me, and said, "I'm not afraid of you." His cocky attitude amused rather than irritated me, and I replied, "Oh, I'm not here for you. " I showed him sketches of Klaus and Rebekkah and asked, "Have you seen these two?"

At first, I didn't believe his easy reply. "Never seen these people before in my life." But when I searched his eyes, it was obvious he was compelled.

Nothing further could be gained from him. I briefly considered killing him because of his friendship with Niklaus, but let it go, instead barking, "Let's wrap it up boys." It was better not to be hasty.

I had kept an eye on the brothers while I was thinking. They were playing a drinking game now. They bantered back and forth about how boring Stefan had been for fifty years. Damon sarcastically called him 'Saint Stefan'. Hmmm. His behavior certainly didn't qualify as saintly now.

I hadn't met the elder brother in Chicago. What I knew about him came from Katherine. Ah yes, Katherine. Did she really think she was going to dictate terms to me, Mikael, father of the Original vampire family? I made her pay for that insult. At first she fought the compulsion, but Katherine, above all else is a survivor. To get what you want out of someone you just have to know what's important to them and then use it against them. You need leverage. I drained her almost to the point of death and then semi-revived her with a cupful of blood only to drain it out of her again. After many such cycles of pain, helplessness, and burning, she accepted the inevitable. She talked for hours – everything she knew about Klaus and the brothers. She told me how she turned them both – but Stefan was the one she truly loved. She even revealed the exact moment he had touched her frozen heart.

I recalled that the older brother, Damon, was hot-headed, rash, unpredictable, in other words, a total loose cannon. Damon had been a disappointment to his father; they fought constantly. Katherine told me she had to compel Stefan, but Damon willingly drank her blood, eager to turn. Everything I had learned about him reminded me of Niklaus, and I was predisposed to be prejudiced against him because of it.

The younger one, Stefan, was the dutiful son. His father had turned to him when he was disappointed in Damon. Stefan was taught to manage the estate, had accepted an arranged marriage (Katherine confessed she had killed the girl out of jealousy) that would extend the family's properties and influence, and deferred to his father in all decisions. He reminded me of my son Elijah. I think if Elijah had a son he would be like Stefan.

Thinking about that stirred the old rage. In life I prided myself on being the head of my family, respected and obeyed by my wife and children, as I had respected and obeyed my father. My word was law as the elder Salvatore's word had been law to his son. Niklaus had destroyed it all. His folly had lead to Henreich's death, and my determination to make my family strong through witchcraft. I took a deep unnecessary breath to calm myself. Now was not the time to let my temper get the better of me.

I once again turned my thoughts to Stefan and his puzzling behavior. Apparently he alternated between the equivalent of a vampire monk and a total uncontrolled ripper. Suddenly, I remembered an obscure little tidbit that Katherine had babbled while begging for mercy. The Bennett witch, Emily, had told her she sensed the boy's soul was pure. That intrigued me; how could a ripper have a pure soul? Something niggled at the edge of my brain. Something that I had once overheard - witches discussing the effect of turning a person with a pure soul into a vampire. I couldn't quite recall it.

Damon was now dancing on top of the bar, alternating his attentions between two women. His graceful gyrations fit the rhythm of what was currently considered dancing music.

Suddenly he jumped off the bar and glided to his brother. Stefan had the blonde, now off-shift, bartender pressed against a support column and was grinding his body against her, his face buried in her neck. The boy was insatiable – this was his what? third drink of the night. I watched as Damon compelled a girl who had paused by the pair, obviously on the verge of intervening. He snatched her neck scarf and sent her on her way. Damon pulled Stefan off the bartender, tenderly wrapped the scarf over the bite marks on her neck, and sent her home while the younger Salvatore smirked.

They sauntered over to the bar and Damon called for another round. I started paying closer attention to their conversation.

They casually leaned against the bar, facing each other, sparring verbally, each one trying to get one up on the other one. I let the sibling bickering continue until I heard Stefan object. "Damon, he can't be killed."

This was my cue to take command of the conversation.

I moved so fast no human saw me and ended up just behind Stefan. I said, "Maybe I can help with that." As they turned to see who was speaking I walked in front of them.

I felt no need to disguise my casual contempt so, as I looked back and forth between them, I said, "The – Salvatore boys, I presume?", with a little extra emphasis on boys.

Stefan stared and slowly straightened up. His eyes never leaving mine he stepped right up to me, exactly as he had done in Chicago. I almost expected him to say, 'I'm not afraid of you'. I could see recognition in his eyes, and he nodded slightly, as if confirming something in his own mind.

"Mikael!"

Damon seemed a little taken aback.

I started my interrogation with a smile on my face, as I gently questioned Stefan. "Is Niklaus out of the country?"

Stefan smiled and said, "I can't tell you?"

"Has he spoken to you since he left?"

He hesitated slightly and then still smiling said, "I can't tell you."

I tried again, still calm. "Alright, can you tell me the last time you spoke to Niklaus?"

Stefan looked away as if exasperated because I didn't understand and then folded his arms and explained, "I am compelled to do what he says, and he says to keep my damn mouth shut."

Damon, as I expected, just couldn't resist chiming in and drawled, "I really hope this game of twenty questions isn't your secret weapon."

I turned my attention to him. I really didn't like his attitude and decided he needed a lesson.

I reached over and placed my hand on his shoulder. "You see, Damon—," I deliberately made my grip painful and he glanced down at my hand, wary now, "—I've been a vampire hunter longer than you've been alive. It's why I found you here. It's why I'm gonna find Niklaus.

Stefan was watching me, nervous now, licking his lips, and rocking slightly.

Damon didn't know when to back off. He still had his sarcastic attitude and lectured me. "Well, Klaus has been running for over a thousand years so if you think you're gonna get a work around here—"

Enough! My patience snapped, and I plunged my left hand under his shirt and into his chest cavity. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Stefan start forward. "Careful, Stefan," I cautioned. "One move and his heart's gone." The boy licked his lips, clearly upset. It was time to apply some leverage. Now that I had Stefan's total attention I turned to him, my left hand still on Damon's heart, right hand holding his shoulder and started again.

I let the steel creep into my voice. "Now, where is Klaus?" I demanded. I was getting to him. His eyes shifted to Damon and back and his mouth quivered, but he couldn't make anything come out.

I twisted my hand in Damon to make him moan. "Come on," I urged. "What's the trick question, Stefan?"

His face twisted and his body rocked, but he still couldn't speak.

"One twist, and he's dead. Unless you don't care, of course." I was mocking him – I knew he cared. Katherine told me how he sacrificed everything he valued, the girl he loved and his self control, to save his brother from the werewolf bite. I just had to keep up the pressure.

Damon groaned. "All his emotions have been shut off. He can't care."

"Really?" I taunted. "Is he into Klaus so strong he will let his own brother die?"

Stefan closed his eyes and struggled to speak. He lips parted, but nothing came out.

"No idea?" I commanded. "Think, Stefan!"

His teeth showed as he struggled to overcome the compulsion. His eyes were frantic as he looked at his brother. He was close. I just had to goad him into finding a way around the compulsion. I snapped my head back to the suffering Damon. I shrugged. "I guess you're right, he's a dead end." Stefan gritted his teeth as I continued. "And so are you, Damon. " I pulled his heart toward me. The squish was audible, but Damon's groan of pain was louder.

Stefan grabbed my left arm, right at Damon's chest. "Wait. I can bring him back. I can lure Klaus back to Mystic Falls."

I stared into Stefan's hopeful face and then pulled my empty hand out of Damon's chest.

"Hah!" My exclamation was quite jolly as I leaned in against Stefan to grab a bar cloth. Damon was of course, on his knees. Triumphant now that I got what I wanted, I said, "And there is our loophole," not that I was ever really in doubt that Stefan would come through. There is always a way around a compulsion provided there is enough incentive.

I explained to Damon as I cleaned off my bloody hand, "Just had to rile him up a bit."

I held Stefan's eye's and said with a touch of menace, "Get Klaus back to Mystic Falls, and I will gladly drive a stake through his heart. Fail – I'll drive it through yours." Stefan's face twitched. I don't know what emotions he was experiencing, but I think it was more anger at what I had done to his brother then fear for himself.

I left them thinking perhaps I should have clarified I would stake them both if he failed. Oh well, we could talk about it tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Salvatore House – night of Homecoming Plan Change**

I silently moved in as the Salvatores and Elena were discussing how to lure Klaus back to Mystic Falls.

Elena objected, "What if he wants to see the body?"

At that point I said, "Then I shall be dead". Startled, they looked up to see me spreading out my tools on one of the many tables cluttering one of the many overcrowded Salvatore mansion rooms. Stefan and Elena came down the stairs towards me, while Damon lingered a safer distance away.

Elena voiced an objection. "What if he wants to see you in person?"

"Well, then it means our plan is working. Klaus will absolutely want to see my body. You lure him here, and I will kill him."

Stefan, ever the skeptic, asked, "With what? Those daggers won't work on him."

"I'm in possession of a stake fashioned from the wood of the ancient white oak tree." I dipped the silver dagger in a vial of ashes. "The one that left these ashes when it burnt."

"Where is it?" Was Damon just curious, or did he actually think he was being crafty?

"Not here! See, knowing its location is my insurance policy."

"Against what?" Stefan countered.

"You leaving this in my heart." Really, did they think I had survived this long by being trusting?

I finished carefully coating the dagger blade with ash and re-corked the tube. As I did so I explained, "See a vampire can't dagger an Original without dying, so it falls to you. " I handed the dagger to Elena with a slight flourish, hilt first.

Her expression was incredulous. "You want me to actually dagger you?"

"Klaus will leave nothing to chance, especially when it comes to trust."

She examined it carefully and then shrugged and plunged it into my heart. I felt the burning hot pain of the dagger slipping in and the agony radiating out from my heart and then nothing.

I gasped, not able to catch my breath. The spasms made me cough, but eased up as I rolled over to my hands and knees, clutching my stomach. As I gradually remembered what happened, I heard a voice I hadn't heard in a long time. The tone was not friendly. "Finally. Took you long enough."

"Rebekah." My beloved daughter. If I had a soft side, Rebekah was the one capable of bringing it out.

She leaned back in a low armchair, her hard eyes never leaving my face. "Whatever fatherly rubbish you're about to say, save it! Nothing you can say matters to me."

That hurt. "I see." I stood up and looked around me on the rug. "Where's my dagger?"

"Elena has it so you can forget your plans to use it on me."

"You were never the one I was after," I said gently.

"Nik was my family, if you were after him then you were after me." There was no compromise in her angry tones.

I tried to reason with her. "He blinded you, Rebekah. He killed your mother."

She would have none of. She stood and walked over until she was face to face with me. "I know what he did, and he'll pay for it with his life, but Nik was not born a killer. None of us were. You did this to us when you turned us into vampires. " I saw the tears glisten in eyes as she accused me. "You destroyed our family, not him."

As she stormed out, I called out to her, "Rebekah!", but she ignored me.

Our conversation was painful. She was upset with Niklaus, but clearly blamed me more. I didn't understand why she couldn't see Niklaus was the true cause of our family's misfortune. He killed her mother, but even if he hadn't, didn't Rebekah realize I would have had to renounce Esther? Much as I loved her, she had disgraced me. NIklaus was living proof of her betrayal. Honor would have demanded that I repudiate her. He destroyed our family, not me.

I was disappointed that she failed to see that I was only protecting my family and my honor. But, then she was a girl. Honor didn't have the same meaning for women as it did for men. Still, she was my daughter. I loved her and I would find a way to bring her back to me.

I left the Salvatore home, taking a bottle of Damon's best bourbon on the way out, and returned to my current lodgings to think. I settled into a comfortable armchair with my legs up on a hassock and the borrowed Bourbon and a glass on the end table next to me. I poured a generous helping of the liquor and slowly slipped it. Say what you like about Damon, you can't deny he had excellent taste in spirits.

I leaned back and closed my eyes letting my mind wander. I had centuries of accumulated information to sift through. I let it drift through my mind, swirling to the top of my consciousness and then sinking back down into the depths.

Katherine . . Chicago . . Gloria . . pure soul . . Rebekah . . dutiful son . . loves him . . pure soul . . ripper . . Ayana warning Esther . . pure soul . . witches . . blood lust . . Katherine talking, talking.

Sometime late that the night the bottle was empty and the pieces of the puzzle fit together.


	3. Chapter 3

**That Night**

I watched the Salvatore house from just beyond the edge of the manicured lawn. I was so much a part of the night, that a small creature crawled over my boot, never realizing it wasn't just another of the endless obstacles in its path. I approved of the property. The brothers obviously had some pride in the place; it was well-kept. I understood taking pride in your possessions.

I let the smells and sounds of the night wash over my senses, gradually honing my focus in on the interior of the house. I smelled traces of Stefan, Rebekah, and others, but the clearest scent was Damon's. His light footsteps were the only sounds in the house. He was alone for now.

I swiftly entered. Fools! Why hadn't they found a token human to own the house and keep unwanted visitors like myself out? This brought a small smile to my face, and I greeted Damon quite cordially.

Damon was pouring himself a full glass from a Mystic Falls Hospital blood bag, no doubt building up his strength for tonight's activities.

I quietly walked in. As he looked over at me, I asked, "Did my daughter go to the dance?" I was anxious about Rebekah. Part of me wanted her to enjoy whatever normalcy she could have, and part of me worried that she would interfere. I wasn't about to let the Salvatore be aware of my thoughts though, so I kept my face bland.

"Yup, you missed the photo op." Could Damon not speak in a normal tone of voice? Why did every word he uttered always have an undertone to it? Like he had a constant chip on his shoulder.

Raising his glass once again he said, "Did you get the stake?"

"I did."

He sneered. "I'm not going to take your word for it. No offense to your honor and all."

"None taken." I calmly removed the ornately carved white ash stake out of my inner jacket pocket and held it up for him to admire.

"Fan – cy! May I?" He reached for it.

I replaced it in my jacket. "It's the only weapon on earth that can kill an Original, so I think I'll hold on to it. No offense." Let's see if Damon could take it as well as he dished it out.

He smiled and said with his usual attempt at wit, "I'd offer you a drink, but Katherine tells me you're more of a vampire on the rocks kind of guy."

"Well, technically you could still offer!" I responded. Let's see what he made of that.

His eyes went hard and his voice was hostile. Guess I made him nervous. "Why feed on vampires and don't tell me it's the smooth aftertaste?"

I responded truthfully. "I had a hand in creating vampires, but the blood lust was never my intention. Over the centuries I learned to feed from the predators, not the innocent." I didn't tell him I blamed the witches for the blood lust, but I definitely did. I had no love for nature's servants.

A slightly disheveled Stefan dashed in. "The plans have changed. Klaus is back but at the Lockwoods, and he wants your body delivered to his doorstep."

"I'm afraid he's in for a colossal disappointment," I informed him.

Nervously Stefan said, "Well, he's not going to come here. " Cocking a worried eyebrow he said, "I hope your plan didn't depend on that."

Damon answered for us. "It didn't depend on that."

Stefan pressed on. "But you do have a plan, right?"

Damon grinned. "Oh yeah, we have a plan, right? It just doesn't involve you."

As we had decided previously, I rushed Stefan. I had originally planned on snapping his neck, but at the last moment I changed my mind. I had two reasons for the change of heart. I was, as always, a little annoyed with Damon and thought I would give him a little show of power. Teach him to respect me. And I wanted to taste the blood of a vampire with a pure soul. I had remembered last night that the witches believed the blood of a vampire with a pure soul would be irresistibly delicious. I wrapped my arms around him and sunk my fangs into his jugular. His pitiful attempts to free himself only succeeded in pumping his blood faster into my waiting mouth.

The witches were right. Even the almost forgotten taste of human blood paled in comparison.

I could easily drain him dry, but as I felt him lose consciousness I forced myself to let go and pushed him to the rug. I felt one little trickle of blood seep from the corner of my mouth, so I quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped my face, masking the elation I felt. Let Damon think I was just being neat.

Damon's horrified expression amused me. "Couldn't you just snap his neck?"

I smirked. "I considered it." Abruptly I left the house without explaining further. Damon caught up with me, and we headed towards the Lockwood estate to crash the homecoming party.

I savored the remnants of Stefan's blood still lingering in my mouth. Not only would he be the bait to lure Rebekah back to me; his blood would be an endless source of bliss for us. His ripper nature was caused by the conflict between his pure soul and the blood lust of the vampire. It was a constant tug of war between the two opposing sides. He could not find the knife edge balance so he swung back and forth between the two extremes like a child on a see-saw. He could abstain from human blood or lose himself in the lust, but always, he was tormented because of the purity of his soul. There wasn't much I could do about his inner anguish, but I could prevent him from killing innocents. The boy was no match for me. He would soon obey me, just as he had always obeyed his father. In a sense, as Rebekah's mate he would be an adopted son.

Poor Damon would not survive the night. Niklaus was nothing if not vindictive. I'm sure his sired hybrids would have orders to kill anyone that moved against their master. If they failed then I would step in and finish him. There were several very compelling reasons for this. He would interfere with my plans for his brother and Elena. Some might call my last reason petty, but his similarities to Niklaus irritated me.

Actually, not many would survive the night. I had nothing personal against Elena, but the doppelganger line must end here. There was too much magic entwined with her existence and her blood, not to mention that she would throw a wrench in my plans for Stefan. He would fight Rebekah's love as long as Elena was alive.

Ending the doppelganger line meant that Katherine should be also eliminated. Besides, she had revealed her true feelings, and she would never give up Stefan. Katherine was nothing if not determined, and I would never underestimate her as an opponent.

I didn't have the time to properly investigate the Bennett witch's ancestry, but I had my suspicions, and it was best to err on the side of caution and kill her. If Bonnie was descended from Ayana's line then she would be a formidable enemy.

The Tyler hybrid would be slaughtered along with the rest of Niklaus's abominations. The only one I had no reason to kill was the blonde vampire. If she was smart and stayed out of the upcoming battle then she would live.

My thoughts returned to Niklaus. How it galled me that, that bastard, and I mean the term literally, had eluded me time and time again. He had slipped through my fingers in Chicago, but it wouldn't happen here.

At last, I would get rid of that monstrosity, that snake that killed his mother. I would regain control of my family, and most importantly, erase the stain on my honor. Elijah would side with me once he learned the truth – that Niklaus was the one who killed his mother. His adherence to a code of honor and his strict sense of moral duty was legendary among vampires. He was the child I was most proud of. My other two sons had been loyal to me before Niklaus hunted them down and staked them. With Niklaus dead, Rebekah would fall in line. Her only other option would be eternity alone, and she would never choose that.

With my family united once more, we would make a change in this world. The wolves would be the first to be eliminated. We could then purge the most undesirable of the vampires, and finally I would turn my attention to the witches. They were the ones who had unjustly cursed my family when I was only trying to ensure their safety. It would take time and careful planning, but they would pay.

It was fitting that this ended here; here where it all began. Eager to confront Niklaus, I turned to Damon. "Faster." He lifted his eyebrow and waved me on. Our movements became a blur.

~ Fin ~


End file.
